PERIPHERY | NH |

TWENTY NINE

Niall

I love you.

It's been a week since I said it to Hunter while we took a bath after what could very easily be the best sex of my entire goddamn life.

Telling her that I didn't want to hear it back was the honest truth, not in that moment anyway.

I didn't want her to feel like just because she opened up herself and her life, her heart to me that she had to say it back to me. Of course I knew that was how I had felt about her for a while — it was about time that she knew it too.

In the week since then I finalized my album, everything ready to go, ready to give to the world.

This project feels incredibly personal to me.

With songs about love, heartbreak, and even songs about finding who you are.

Everything from beginning to end was worth all of the long hours and the amount of times I started things over because it didn't sound right. At the end of the day, the last eight months were spent with someone as supportive and creative as Hunter, which I was eternally grateful for.

As much as this album was for me?

It was for her, too.

Right now I'm sitting on her kitchen counter while she wheels her suitcase from her bedroom out into her front hallway, expecting Cooper to be here any minute to take us to the airport.

"Are you sure that's all you'll need?" Looking at my small carry-on bag, her eyes find mine. "Seriously there's no way you can fit all of your clothes in that one bag."

I smile at her as I shake my head. "You forget most of the events we are going to that I'm going to be styled by someone. I only need my toiletries and a couple changes of clothes."

"Must be nice. I've got this full and still feel like I'm going to be missing something." Watching as she sits her backpack on top of her suitcase, I laugh.

"Are you excited?" Hopping down from the counter I make my way over to her, threading my hands with hers and leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I know I am."

She sighs and relaxes into me, something she's needed to do for at least an hour with the way she's been nervously walking around the house. "Yes. I mean, this isn't my first time traveling with an artist."

"Ah, that's me. Just your everyday artist." My arms encircle her waist as I spin her around causing her to laugh, my favorite fucking sound. "I love when you tell me I'm just like everyone else, do it again."

Sitting her back on her feet, she smiles up at me as I watch her roll her eyes. "God, you are so annoying."

I press my lips to hers, feeling the corners of her lips turn up as her delicate hands come up to cup my cheeks. "Yeah, but you like me anyways."

"Yeah." Her hazel eyes lock with mine as her thumb brushes over my bottom lip. "I do."

Before I can respond, the sound of the doorbell tears us apart as she opens it and lets Cooper in.

I liked Cooper.

Sure, at first I felt kind of awkward around him but it's almost like that lasted all of two seconds, him joking and teasing me almost as much as he did with Hunter which made me feel normal.

Like any average guy in love with his best friend.

The more time I had gotten to spend with him the more I realized how much he cared about Hunter, how much he would do anything for her.